This invention relates generally to the field of soldering and more particularly to an integrated and modular operator's station for the soldering, desoldering, and handling, especially of small, delicate, or expensive electronic components.
In modern electronics manufacture, maintenance, repair, and research and development, the desoldering and resoldering, as well as much initial soldering of intricate and delicate components have become routine necessities. Such components are typically multiterminal integrated circuit chips or other devices designed to be surface mounted on a printed circuit board. These components are often very expensive and are mechanically and thermally delicate or vulnerable to damage from physical or thermal shock. In addition, the circuit board and other components proximate to that being worked upon may similarly be vulnerable to expensive damage during the process.
Accordingly, various hand tools have been developed in the prior art for melting solder at the terminals of such components with optimum temperature and heating capacity and with soldering tips adapted to reach, selectively, particular ones of the small terminals of the components without damaging the component or surrounding elements. Such soldering tools, while being thermally adequate, should desirably be convenient and safe for the operator to handle, store, and maintain.
With the advent of environmental concerns for personnel safety and comfort, a significant awareness of and sensitivity to the noxious fumes from the soldering instrument has developed. The fumes from rosin and flux and other materials may be generated initially at the soldering work point and, in addition, continue to exude from materials remaining on the soldering tip when it is rested on the workbench or other storage place which may be near the face of the operator.
The difficulties in desoldering a component, especially a multiterminal one, from a circuit board are well appreciated by practitioners in this field: the binding solder must be carefully melted and maintained in the liquid state until it can be removed. Techniques of blowing or shaking it off are generally unacceptable; and simple hand held one-shot piston stroke or squeeze bulb devices are undesirably awkward and often ineffective. Vacuum probes connected by lines to an electrically powered vacuum pump exist in the prior art, but are noisy, complex, and expensive to obtain and maintain.
Handling the surface mounted device in connection with its installation or removal from a circuit board has been a difficult task aggravated by the often tiny geometry of the chip and its delicate and expensive nature. Small, long nose forceps are sometimes used and other techniques such as a bulb of sticky putty on the end of a fine rod or stick to hold temporarily the component are sometimes used but obviously suffer disadvantages and limitations.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an integrated solder-desoldering station which includes soldering, vacuum desoldering, and part handling capabilities which is not subject to these and other disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.
It is another object to provide such a station which provides precision, constant temperature soldering capability in a compact light weight, and convenient to handle and operate tool.
It is another object to provide such a station which provides a safe, convenient, and energy conserving resting position for the soldering instrument while it is not in actual use but ready for immediate use in soldering-desoldering operations.
It is another object to provide such a station in which noxious soldering fumes are quickly and continuously removed from the immediate environment of the operator.
It is another object to provide such a station in which the operating temperature of the soldering instrument is electronically, precisely controlled remotely from the hand held portion thereof.
It is another object to provide such a station at which the soldering tip of the soldering instrument may be readily cleaned thereby maximizing its solder melting and handling characteristics while removing noxious fume creating residues and maximizing the longevity of the tip and/or it's plated surface.
It is another object to provide such a station including a vacuum operated desoldering instrument having a strong, continuous or multi-pulse suction action.
It is another object to provide such a station including a convenient, hand held desoldering tool which is safe, quiet, reliable, rugged and easily operated and maintained and which does not require a motor driven vacuum pump.
It is another object to provide such a station which provides a convenient, efficient resting place for the desoldering tool.
It is another object to provide such a station which includes a vacuum operated tool for selectively picking up, holding, and releasing small surface mounted devices for soldering or desoldering them.
It is another object to provide such a station which includes a convenient and efficient resting holder for the pick-up tool.
It is another object to provide such a station which is modular in nature for integrating various selected solder-desoldering capabilities into a consolidated compact facility.